Post-Hire Incidents

How to use incidents to gather customer information before deciding on a charge.

Post-Hire Incidents

Post-hire incidents allow you to open a case and request information from customers before deciding whether to create a charge. This "incident-first" pathway helps reduce disputes by collecting the customer's explanation and evidence first.

What are Incidents?

Incidents are pre-charge cases that let you:

  • Ask customers questions about issues you've noticed
  • Collect their explanation and evidence before making a decision
  • Decide whether to close the incident (no charge) or convert it to a post-hire charge

Example scenarios:

  • You notice damage but want to know what happened before charging
  • You see something unusual but need context from the customer
  • You want to give customers a chance to explain before creating a charge

When to Use Incidents vs Direct Charges

Use Incidents When:

  • You're not sure if a charge is warranted
  • You need the customer's explanation or context
  • You want to reduce disputes by hearing their side first
  • The situation is unclear and needs investigation

Use Direct Charges When:

  • You're confident about the charge amount and reason
  • The damage or issue is clear with known costs
  • You have all the information you need
  • The charge is straightforward (e.g., parking ticket, late return fee)

Creating an Incident

Step 1: Create the Incident

  1. Go to Incidents in your dashboard
  2. Click "Create Incident"
  3. Select the booking
  4. Choose incident type:
    • Damage: Vehicle damage, equipment damage, etc.
    • Cleanliness: Excessive mess, smoking, pets, etc.
    • Fuel: Vehicle not returned with full tank
    • Other: Any other issue

Step 2: Add Details

  • Customer-facing summary: This is what the customer will see. Write a clear, neutral question (e.g., "We noticed a broken zip on the tent. Can you tell us what happened?")
  • Operator notes: Internal notes only visible to your team
  • Upload evidence: Optionally upload photos or documents (visible to customer if you include them)

Step 3: Request Customer Response (Optional)

  • Toggle "Request customer explanation" if you want their input
  • Set response window (default 48 hours)
  • If the booking has no customer email, the toggle will be disabled with a note

Note: If the booking doesn't have a customer email, you can still create an incident, but you won't be able to request a customer response.

Step 4: Submit

  • If requesting customer response: Click "Open incident & email customer"
  • If not requesting response: Click "Open incident"

Customer Response Flow

When you request a customer response:

  1. Customer receives email: They get an email with a secure, signed link
  2. Customer responds: They click the link, see your question, and can:
    • Provide a text explanation
    • Upload photos or documents (up to 5 files, 5MB each)
    • Submit their response
  3. You review: The incident status changes to "Customer Responded"
  4. You decide:
    • Close (no charge): If their explanation is satisfactory
    • Convert to charge: Pre-fills the charge form with incident details

Managing Incidents

Viewing Incidents

The Incidents page shows:

  • Incident ID and status
  • Booking reference
  • Customer name and email
  • Incident type
  • Created date
  • Response window end date (if applicable)

Incident Statuses

  • Open: Incident created but customer hasn't been notified yet
  • Waiting for Customer: Customer has been notified, waiting for response
  • Customer Responded: Customer has submitted their response
  • Closed (No Charge): Incident closed without creating a charge
  • Converted to Charge: Incident was converted to a post-hire charge

Actions Available

  • Send/Resend Customer Request: Send or resend the response request email
  • Close (No Charge): Close the incident without creating a charge (optional reason note)
  • Convert to Post-Hire Charge: Convert the incident to a charge (pre-fills charge form)

Converting an Incident to a Charge

When you convert an incident to a charge:

  1. Click "Convert to Post-Hire Charge"
  2. The charge form is pre-filled with:
    • Booking reference
    • Incident type mapped to charge reason code
    • Customer-facing description (from incident summary)
    • Incident evidence files are linked to the charge
  3. You can:
    • Adjust the amount
    • Edit the description
    • Choose payment source (bond hold, new payment, or create payment link)
    • Optionally request customer response before charging (though you already collected it via the incident)
  4. Submit to create the charge

The incident is linked to the charge, so you can see the full history.

Best Practices

Writing Customer-Facing Summaries

  • Be neutral: Avoid accusatory language
  • Be specific: Mention what you noticed (e.g., "broken zip on tent" not just "damage")
  • Be clear: Ask a direct question
  • Set expectations: Mention that no payment will be taken at this stage

Good examples:

  • "We noticed a broken zip on the tent. Can you tell us what happened?"
  • "The vehicle was returned with less fuel than required. Can you explain the situation?"
  • "We found some marks on the interior. Do you know how these occurred?"

Avoid:

  • "You damaged the tent" (accusatory)
  • "There's a problem" (too vague)
  • "You owe us money" (premature)

Response Windows

  • 48 hours: Good default for most cases
  • 24 hours: For urgent issues
  • 72+ hours: For complex cases or when customers might be traveling

Evidence Collection

  • Upload photos when creating the incident
  • Customers can also upload their own photos when responding
  • All evidence is preserved when converting to a charge

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I create an incident without a customer email?
A: Yes, but you won't be able to request a customer response. You can still use incidents for internal tracking and convert them to charges later.

Q: What if a customer doesn't respond?
A: After the response window expires, you can still convert the incident to a charge or close it. The incident will show as "Waiting for Customer" until you take action.

Q: Can I convert an incident to a charge if the customer hasn't responded?
A: Yes, you can convert an incident to a charge at any time, even if the customer hasn't responded.

Q: What happens to incident files when I convert to a charge?
A: All incident files (both operator and customer uploads) are linked to the charge as evidence.

Q: Can I close an incident after converting it to a charge?
A: No, once converted, the incident status is "Converted to Charge" and cannot be changed. The charge workflow takes over.

Q: How do incidents help reduce disputes?
A: By collecting the customer's explanation first, you:

  • Give them a chance to explain before charging
  • Build trust through transparent communication
  • Reduce surprise charges that lead to disputes
  • Have their explanation on record if you do need to charge